


come and commutability

by poalimal



Category: Check Please! (Webcomic)
Genre: Established Relationship, F/M, Gen, M/M, Multi, Polyamory, lmao white guilt
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-08-13
Updated: 2018-08-13
Packaged: 2019-06-26 19:18:50
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 1,076
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15669612
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/poalimal/pseuds/poalimal
Summary: Time to Eat!, 2022. L. Duan. Mixed media. Caption: Two Hungry Men.





	1. Chapter 1

 

 _Time to Eat!_ , 2022. L. Duan. Mixed media. Caption: Two Hungry Men.

 

* * *

 

'Oh my Lord,' says Eric, faintly.

 

* * *

  

'It's very--' says Adam, tilting his head.

Justin untilts his head. 'Very very,' he agrees. 'Bra- _vo._ '

 

* * *

 

Jack stares.

'Well, it's--obviously very explicit,' he says, finally. 'But it's not like porn. I think you conveyed the--um, the urgency pretty well here.' He points at the lower half. 'I like these splashes,' he murmurs.

Larissa beams. 'And you say you aren't an artist.'

Jack huffs out a laugh, still very red in the face. 'I guess seeing Shitty's ass brings it out in me.'

 

* * *

  

 _Wow!!! See Derek Eat!_ , Chris texts. _P:_

 


	2. Chapter 2

 

Of course she shows it to them first.

'Is that really what I look like?' Shannon asks, afterward, upstairs. 'Like, does my face really look like that when I come?' He laughs, a little, perhaps a bit self-consciously?

'It's just an exaggeration, babe,' Larissa explains. 'Big versi - for viewing in space.'

'(Space ! - space ! - space !),' Derek echoes, kissing up Lardo's very ticklish knee. She stifles a giggle, because that would only encourage him. He gleams up at her anyway. Ah, he's got her read.

'How 'bout you, Dr Nurse,' says Shannon, sighing some. He quirks up his lips when they turn to him. 'Any thoughts on my come face?'

'Hm, thoughts on this face? This beautiful, beloved face?' Derek murmurs, sliding up the bed. 'I have several.'

'Ha ha, ah.' Shannon's eyes flutter closed as Derek kisses every part of his face, careful. 'Never mind. Forget I said anything.'

'Unfortunately, my memory's a bit better than that,' says Larissa, pushing herself up onto her arms. 'I'm not trying to make a thing of it, but it just, it seems like it bothers you some? And I don't want to show anything that makes you feel--' She pauses to let him fill in the gap.

'Un... comfortable?' Derek suggests.

'Exposed,' Shannon says. Derek pulls back, and sends a muted look her way.

'Oh.' That's understandable. _Time to Eat!_ is definitely not the most explicit of her pieces, but it's probably one of the more explicit ones that unambiguously shows Shannon's face. 'Ok. I won't show it then.' She's still got the Miel piece to finish up anyway.

Shannon's head snaps up. 'What? I didn't say that! You've spent like two months on that piece, Lards, the gallery's like next week. I can't ask you not to show it. I'm _not_ asking you not to show it.'

Larissa rolls over onto her front and leans up, resting on her arms. 'Yea, well, you don't have to ask, Shan,' she says. 'I'm telling you. There are other pieces I can use.' Of course it's gonna suck, trying to get them ready in time. But that's not the point here.

'But you're saying it like I should be happy about it,' says Shannon, voice rising. Derek reaches out and traces little circles on his thigh. He always clams up whenever the two of them disagree about anything, like he thinks he's not allowed to say anything. It makes her heart hurt. They're going to have to talk about it soon.

Shannon hooks his pinky with Derek's, taking a deep breath, a deep, calming breath, before he lets go. 'Can I ask...,' he says, more quietly, 'why you think I would be happy that you're throwing away all your hard work?'

Larissa snorts without meaning to. 'I'm not throwing it away, Shan. Hey, I can hang it up in the foyer if you really feel like being humiliated in front of strangers.'

'It's not humiliating, Larissa,' says Shannon, staring at her intently. 'It's beautiful.' Derek takes her hand, kisses each knuckle.

 _my love:_  
              he said to her once,  
_the one who will_  
_make the world anew._

'I don't care that I've got a funny come face,' says Shannon, 'and I don't mind that you painted me and D, I _love_ that you painted me and D, I love-- the million and one ways you show us--' he hesitates, shaking his head, 'that you want us. That--you want me. Even when I'm hard to want. When I'm not the person you deserve. That either of you deserve.'

Derek and Larissa share a look. Shannon notices, and shrugs helplessly. Boston always does that to him.

'I don't really like when you talk like that, Shan,' Larissa says, quietly. 'Like me and D are just--giving you a chance. We aren't taking a chance on you; we're choosing you. We want you with us. So don't go away.' She sits up, and takes him into her arms. Derek murmurs something she can't make out. She reaches out back behind her, sight unseen, and grabs at his hand.

Shannon sighs into her embrace; hides in her neck. 'Hey,' she says quietly. 'Whatever you want, with that piece.'

'Well, I still want people to see it, obviously,' Shannon mumbles. 'It's really fucking good!' Larissa doesn't bother trying to hide her smile. She doesn't see Derek kiss two of his fingers. She does feel him press his fingers to Larissa's neck, to the top of Shannon's head: a kiss for you - and you.

'But maybe cover my face?' Shannon asks. 'That face-- my dumb come face-- hhh, that's just for you two. Ok? No one else.'

Maybe she can add some more faux slaw, cover up his face? Well, she'll figure it out. 'If I decide to show the painting,' she promises, 'it'll only be with your approval. Is that cool?'

'80's Arctic,' Shannon says, because he's still trying to make Conversational Catchphrases About Climate Change a thing. 'Thank you, Lar-do.' As if taking him seriously is something to thank her for? Ah, Shits. His dad is the worst.

Derek lets out a deep sigh, rolling over into their pillows. 'You know, that was really skirting the No Fighting In Bed rule,' he says. 'I think I may need to take--' He takes his glasses down, starts counting silently on his hand.'--ah, a 34 minute nap on the good couch in protest.'

'But there are so many more enjoyable things we could do together,' Shannon says coaxingly, 'for 34 minutes.'

'Question the universe,' Larissa pulls off her top and tosses it to the floor. 'Determine our place in the world...'

'Or, fool around,' says Shannon, already rolling his hair up into a bun. Derek grins over at Larissa wickedly. 'I was thinkin' we could fool around.'

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I think one of the central tensions in Shitty and Lardo's relationship is the friction between transparency and exclusivity: being honest, open and direct with everyone as catharsis, as healthful, healing communication - and being private, cultivating aloneness and omission, together, as intimacy. I think I positioned Shitty a bit further right than he would actually fall in canon? It was an interesting exercise, regardless.
> 
> Writing Nursey in this was a bit difficult. This fic actually came out of a longer themed fic about the three of them, and I kept wanting to stretch the premise of this dialogue to address his feelings. It's clear that he feels a bit on the outside of their relationship, and Lardo can quite clearly tell, and she hates it - but neither she nor Shitty seem to think to ask his perspective on her piece ):
> 
> Anyway - Chowder didn't go to Lardo's gallery showing bc he had a game!!! He is a very supportive friend!!!


End file.
